Paul highlights the significance of the Benedictine Rule’s charity (or love) in sustaining mutuality within the Body of Christ through his communications with the budding faith community in Corinth.
“Love is patient; love is kind. Love isn’t envious, doesn’t boast, brag, or strut about. There’s no arrogance in love; it’s never rude, crude, or indecent—it’s not self-absorbed. Love isn’t easily upset. Love doesn’t tally wrongs or celebrate injustice; but truth—yes, truth—is love’s delight! Love puts up with anything and everything that comes along; it trusts, hopes, and endures no matter what. Love will never become obsolete. (I Corinthians 13:4-8 The Voice)
In covenant relationships, both with G-d and each other, love is a gift of the Spirit; it is that gifted love which cleaves us together into one. Like adhesive, love marries the many members together into One Body. It is the very spiritual energy that empowers members, although different, to coalesce as One in Christ. Such a self-less commitment in covenantal relationships, as described by Paul to the Corinthians, is beyond the mere willpower of any individual member, though. The
Rule underscores this, “…reckoning that the good that is in them could not be wrought by themselves but by God, [let the Rule] magnify the Lord working in them…” (Prologue) It is only by the mysterious power of the Holy Spirit that distinct members in covenant relationship can continue to cleave as One by the magnetic power of love.
In covenant relationships, both with G-d and each other, love is a gift of the Spirit; it is that gifted love which cleaves us together into one. Like adhesive, love marries the many members together into One Body. It is the very spiritual energy that empowers members, although different, to coalesce as One in Christ. Such a self-less commitment in covenantal relationships, as described by Paul to the Corinthians, is beyond the mere willpower of any individual member, though. The
Rule underscores this, “…reckoning that the good that is in them could not be wrought by themselves but by God, [let the Rule] magnify the Lord working in them…” (Prologue) It is only by the mysterious power of the Holy Spirit that distinct members in covenant relationship can continue to cleave as One by the magnetic power of love.
This is the very point Paul is making. It is the Spirit that intercedes for us in covenant relationships, helping us when we can not help ourselves. (Romans
8:26) Even though we’ve made covenantal commitments, even though the Spirit cleaves us into One, even though we desire to live into our covenantal promises just as Paul describes, we do not always do it. (Romans 7:15-25). Paul and the Benedictine Rule understand this; each offers to covenant relationships an opportunity to fulfill their promises as a trellis for love to flourish with Hildegard’s viriditas.
8:26) Even though we’ve made covenantal commitments, even though the Spirit cleaves us into One, even though we desire to live into our covenantal promises just as Paul describes, we do not always do it. (Romans 7:15-25). Paul and the Benedictine Rule understand this; each offers to covenant relationships an opportunity to fulfill their promises as a trellis for love to flourish with Hildegard’s viriditas.
Through a rule, covenant partnerships are re-membered each day. (Ezekiel 37) The freedom of space and energy within a covenant rule allows Benedictine charity to encourage each member of the relationship to prioritize their covenant promise. Cleaved covenant partners, empowered by the Holy Spirit, may then verdantly share faith, hope and love as one. “[T]hese three virtues must characterize our lives. The greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:13 The Voice)
If intimate covenantal partnerships were to establish a relationship rule to help each member fulfill their covenantal promises with each other and G-d, what would it look like? The Benedictine Rule encourages a structure that will “[c]onvince, entreat, rebuke.” (Chapter 2) What healthy boundaries or expectations could serve to convince individual covenant partners to focus each day on their most committed relationship, highlighting for them both the short-term and long-term benefits reaped by such an intentional discipline? What if the praxis of a communal rule of life were applied to covenant partners? Could this be a relationship rule? Would a relationship rule convince couples to choose each day to act on their covenantal promises instead of just the desires of their own hearts?
If intimate covenantal partnerships were to establish a relationship rule to help each member fulfill their covenantal promises with each other and G-d, what would it look like? The Benedictine Rule encourages a structure that will “[c]onvince, entreat, rebuke.” (Chapter 2) What healthy boundaries or expectations could serve to convince individual covenant partners to focus each day on their most committed relationship, highlighting for them both the short-term and long-term benefits reaped by such an intentional discipline? What if the praxis of a communal rule of life were applied to covenant partners? Could this be a relationship rule? Would a relationship rule convince couples to choose each day to act on their covenantal promises instead of just the desires of their own hearts?
A relationship rule in practice has the potential to entreat partners to be patient and gentle with one another, allowing them to grow individually, as well as together, and to become strong, filled with wisdom, and having the favor of G-d upon them and their relationship. (Luke 2:40) A relationship rule may also serve to rebuke covenant partners when they are negligent of their covenant promises, correcting individual desires that miss the mark of covenantal fulfillment. With an agreed upon relationship rule for how to act out their covenantal promises, partners have a baseline or home base to which they can return together with G-d when promises are broken or ignored.
The Rule of Saint Benedict
(Translated into English. A Pax Book, preface by W.K. Lowther Clarke. London: S.P.C.K., 1931)
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